Kid-friendly ‘Martian’ teaches science | Joanne

David Beck uses The Martian to teach science at Oak Middle School in Los Alamitos, Calif. Photo: Carlos Gonzalez /New York Times

An astronaut is stranded on Mars, nobody knows he’s alive and rescue is four years away, far longer than his food supply will hold out. “Gosh darn it!” he says.

Science teachers are using a profanity-free classroom edition of The Martian to teach physics, astronomy and chemistry, reports Alexandra Alter in the New York Times. It’s the same story with less cursing. (The astronaut doesn’t really say “gosh darn it.”)